two very laughable moments today

"lightbulb"
"walk the line"
Today at school, there were two moments that I tried so hard not to laugh out loud AT the kids. Okay, maybe one I laughed WITH the kids.

We're doing a school wide song for Music Monday on May 7. I've taughht the song, now we're put a few action to it. E.G. The world is waiting for our song...we draw a world in the air with our hands and push our hands outwards like we're showcasing.

So, I have my grade 2 kids come in and we start to generate ideas and put some good actions to the song. For the following line in the song:
I know you hear it when you're alone..

I get a few ideas, we decide on one (hug our arms and sway back and forth). It's done. But this one grade 2 student cannot stop, and needs to be heard. He is frantically trying to get my attention, like the most revolutionary idea is about to come out of his mouth. Yes, M. I say. He shows me his action (a twisty wrist thing in the air). What's he doing, I'm not sure. So I ask in my quizzical way:

I'm not sure what that action has to do with lonely, M. Can you explain it to me?

Yes, Mrs.Harris. You know when you're screwing in a lightbulb? You do that alone, and so I thought a screwing in a lightbulb with your hand would fit real good there.

Oh, I say. I'm trying really hard not to smirk.

So THEN...his buddy beside him supports his idea. Yes, Mrs.Harris, especially, you know, when the lightbulb breaks and it's all sharp and you have to unscrew it by yourself?

IS this for real???? I'm afraid it was.

So my solution was to have the two boys do their own thing for this part of the song. and so seriously they did. Like it was their shining lightbulb moment.

Pun not intended.

My other funny moment today...again pointing out that I work in a RURAL school. I'm doing an airband project with the grade 6's. I've chosen 50's theme for it. The kids were all excited to hear the selections I had chosen (about 50 different songs to choose from) I heard a few rumbling requests for Johnny Cash...not knowing much about him, I thought I'd toss one of his songs in my mix just to appease them. Heck, the rest of the songs were so catchy, a Johnny Cash song would go unnoticed.

So we're flicking through the songs talking about a few of them, and then Johnny Cash comes on. I flick through it quickly, and you'd think I had committed a crime. They all screached at me...ooooh! that's johhnny cash! Turn it back. so there they go, ALL singing Walk the Line in Unison. I had only heard the song a few times in my life, with no real interest at all. They, obviously, have heard it many more.

I'm guessing johnny cash falls under the country category during the 50's and 60's era.

A best friend

I've always wondered about the saying "Man's Best Friend". Today, I finally understood it.

We adopted Mandy 2 years ago, shortly after the death of my mom. Some say it was a knee jerk response to her death, and maybe it was somewhat. Maybe I should have waited awhile longer. But if I did, I wouldn't have Mandy. When I saw her online, I just had to have her. She had such a goofy grin, and her story of having her 3rd litter in 2 years just made me want her even more. I wanted to give her a home where she was safe and spoiled. That she is. She is truly my dog, following me everywhere, including to the bathroom (which gets so annoying sometimes!) She adores our family. I'm the pack leader. Trent's the playmate, and the kids, well, I often think she thinks they are her babies. She even adores our cat Shatzi.

Today, she really proved herself as part of the family in a special way. And for some reason, I just cannot get this out of my head. For some reason, I feel very bonded today, like she really communicated with me. Call me crazy, but I know Mandy, and this was definately her way of telling me something.

We came home from work/daycare and began our usual "home finally" routine of snack/tv, dog goes outside, and I check messages, just before getting prepped for the dinner makings. Cameron got his juice and cheerios, Ethan his juice and apple slices. I got my diet coke and headed to the computer room to check my emails. About 5 minutes later I hear the dog prancing in the house down the hallway into the computer room to see me. Click click her nails tapping along the hardwood floors. Back she goes, and comes back again, this time with a friendly play "growl" and prances side to side in front of me, in her play soliciting way. She NEVER does this in the house. She runs to the back door.

I finally clue in. How did she get in the house in the first place? I follow her, and off she goes onto the deck and LEADS me to my little squirt down the back "hall" of the side of the house.

Was this ooincidence that she wanted to play outside? Maybe. I really think she was trying to let me know that Cameron was out there on his own, and Mandy knew that wasn't right. I feel very grateful for that moment, as sometimes I forget how incredible she really is, and what a great friend and companion she is.

As I type this Mandy lays beside me waiting for the creak of the chair to announce that I will be getting up and moving somewhere else. She will, of course, follow me by my side.


She's definately a best friend.

Mud Puddling

Well, we've entered the big melt where I live and work. 6 1/2 months worth of snow and ice are deciding to morph into something different - mud.

At school, the vast farm fields are speckled with puddles, and even, ponds. The park benches are now uncovered, and there are no more ice and snow forts built ontop and through them. The playgrounds? Well, now the firepoles are an actual challenge, and one can slide down them, instep of step out of them onto a snowbank.

With the melt, comes huge huge puddles, close to pond quality in the playground sand. One would think that hte kids would avoid the playground. No.

Again, the resourcefulness and creativity of children amazes me. Adults are squashing their engagement by screaming "get out of the puddles, where are your boots?" By noon, the new (assinine)safety rule has been implemented onto the playgroun STAY OFF OF THE PLAYGROUND. Yeah, like staying out of puddles has ever been a successful rule with stir crazy kids.

I, the rebellious one on staff... get very excited by what's happening out there. I don't care about soaking wet feet, pants, stinky muddy clothes. I'm totally fixated on these future project managers of our world. I tell them to go forth and conquer. I will absorb the bitching by the other staff.

Take the tire swing lake for instance. One group of kids decided they wanted to get on that swing, but couldn't get to it because the lake was way to big to reach the swing. So, here comes the resourcefulness. Digging streams and "paths" to drain the tireswing puddle just enough. These streams drained into the Slide Puddles.

Again, more teams are catching on. In a day's time, the playground has transformed into a sea of scribbled paths, working their way to the farm field beside the playground. The team has successfully drained most of the water from the important equipment.

A little wet? yep. A little dirty? Yep. Learning about dams, gravity, water flow, engineering, teamwork? Yep.

Farting

Am I a fart magnet or something? Does my kind and gentle face read "please walk near me and fart" ?

Do I just relax you enough that you feel like it's safe to do such a thing around me?

Today, no joke, I had about 6 farters at school. One farter decided the music room was fine and dandy to go really loud. Obviously, she had not intended to be so disruptive, but alas when one farts...kids laugh.

The other 5 times were random. While I'm reading at the same table as the farter and the air changes is an easy one. For some reason, many think that being up ou of their desks is a great excuse. Yes, and I get the brunt of it, in my carpeted, tiered and non-windowed music room. Lovely.

The most insulting one was a sweet grade 2 girl who APPROACHED ME to get her paper marked in math. SHE APPROACHED ME KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO BE WITH HER ONE ON ONE. Does it not make sense to wait the minute or so before moving the air with you? No. She brought it with her.


Nice.

Aging Folks

Okay, gripes, vents and sighs coming up.

Invite dad out to dinner last week. I say, Milestones, Whitespot, TonyRoma's, or Zellers (his fav, not mine) You go out for dinner with your daughter, and guess what you pick? yes, ZELLERS cafeteria. sigh. Ok. I play along. I look for the good in it. Casual dining, kid friendly, quick service, bright surrounding so dad doesn't complain (about the room being dark so that we can't see what they're serving on the plate. Must be some kind of reason they're making it dark because the food must look bad)

We make the time to meet for 5:15. We (husband and kids in tow) get there at 5:25. Yes, slightly late, but my dad has his meal already and is halfway through eating it!!!!!!!! Fucking hell!

And to top it off? He's got a hearing aid FINALLY in the last week. Does he wear it at all? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking hell!!!!!

And all through dinner, he keeps calling me DIJON, for my hair is blonde. I'm too old for this.

Kids are relatively good, thank goodness, except for Cameron's whiny independent phase where I can't even touch a thing on his plate otherwise he explodes into an ugly scene. Ethan keeps nagging about Opa's SURPRISE that he has in the car. Fucking hell.

Somehow, after all that I'm glad it was Zellers. Quick exit.